Clarecastle to ask for €200-€300 match fee

Clarecastle GAA will be asking the county board for €200-€300 per game they host in the future, club delegate Bernard Hanrahan informed this week’s county board meeting. The move is believed to be a kickback and the club’s annoyance at a €1,000 fine imposed on them following their Junior C Championship semi-final against Feakle.

Hanrahan began his comments by questioning the fine that resulted from a match that was abandoned by referee Jack Chaplin. The Magpies’ delegate wanted to know what were the guidelines regarding deciding on fines and how was the figure of €1,500 arrived at.

Chairman Michael O’Neill refused to enter into discussion on the matter but reminded the Clarecastle delegate that they had taken an appeal to the CHC, an independent body, who had dealt with the matter.
Hanrahan still wasn’t satisfied and persisted with asking how the figure was arrived at.

“Two years ago you didn’t consider us worthy of a grant of €25,000. Last year when you had nothing you came to us for our pitch and all we got at the end of the year was €700.

“My club was fined €1,500 for a little bit of a squabble. There would be more pushing coming out of mass at communion time. This country is in recession. You don’t know what you are at,” Hanrahan said.

The fine on Clarecastle was later reduced to €1,000 on appeal.

Clarecastle secretary Neville O’Halloran told the meeting that the club planned “to close the pitch anyway as work needs to be done on the grounds”. He went on to “apologise to the referee who took charge of the game in question”.

 

Time for change for county boards

It’s time for change in relation to the make up of county boards and to the number of meetings held each year. That was the view put by a number of speakers at this week’s meeting of the board at the West County Hotel, Ennis.

Opening the debate, O’Currys delegate Michael Curtin said “club AGMs will be taking place over the coming weeks and, for vibrancy, we need to encourage young people to come to meetings like this. The same faces are here for the past 25 years and while there is great credit due to all to be still involved, we must encourage younger people to take up positions and come to board meetings as a proxy or as a delegate.”

Chairman Michael O’Neill said “it’s my personal view that six meetings a year is enough”.

Kilrush delegate Colm Browne said, “we had motions to this effect at convention last year and for some reason they were moved on,”

Cooraclare’s Sean Chambers reminded the meeting he had brought a proposal from his club some years earlier to have the club chairman or secretary as the delegate and it failed. At the time 50% of counties had that system and it must be up to 90% now.

Miltown’s Noel Walsh told the meeting that a motion had been put to congress to have county chairman as delegates to central council and county secretaries as delegates to provincial council and it didn’t get the necessary support.

According to Noel O’Driscoll from O’Callaghan’s Mills, “There are very few young people going to club meetings. The records show that it’s been difficult to get nominees for the positions of U-21 delegates to congress.”

He added that he would “hate to lose the likes of Noel Walsh and Michael Neenan from this committee, they have been great watchdogs and have helped to keep the top table on their toes”.

According to Tubber chairman, Michael Lee, “it would be great to aspire to this and clubs should encourage it but its hard to get young people to meetings.”

“Decisions are made here and delegates will continue to make decisions. There have been a number of motions to convention about this. It is my view that the chairman or secretary and the senior team manager in the club should attend meetings,” said secretary Pat Fitzgerald.

Inter-provincial championships
Clare GAA has put a proposal forward for discussion at this Saturday’s meeting of the Central Council. At the request of Miltown delegate, Noel Walsh, Clare will ask that the inter-provincial championships (Railway Cups) be played in late October or November at a venue of the provincial winners and on a stand alone basis. Walsh is a long time supporter of the inter-provincial series which has struggled to attract attendances in recent times.

Two clubs sell no tickets
A total of 3,920 tickets were sold in the 2012 Clare GAA fund raising draw but two clubs – Clarecastle and Ballyvaughan -didn’t sell any. The draw realised an income of $235,200 of which €117,600 went to the clubs that participated. The net result was a profit of between €80,000 and €81,000 for the board.

These figures were presented to the delegates at this week’s board meeting by treasurer Bernard Keane who also presented a list of the ticket sales for each club.

Cratloe topped that list with sales of 335 tickets. Inagh-Kilnamona were next with 277 followed by Clonlara on 218, Newmarket on 188, Parteen on 171, Sixmilebridge on 169, Lissycasey on 168, St Senan’s, Kilkee, on 150, Feakle on 149, Wolfe Tones on 140, Banner on 107, Shannon Gaels on 102, Ruan and O’Currys on 100 each.

There was a special draw for clubs that sold in excess of 100 tickets each and Cratloe won first prize (€2,000) with Shannon Gaels getting second prize (€1,000).

The treasurer informed the delegates that the poker classic run prior to the All-Ireland U-21 hurling final realised a profit of €6,124.

Hurling-shinty festival
Clare GAA are the first to host the Ireland-Scottish hurling-shinty festival which will take place over the October Bank Holiday weekend.

Details of the festival were outlined by Games development manager Sean Chaplin at this week’s board meeting when he urged all to support the various activities.

“Admission to the different games is free and there is a big programme of events. We have been told that if things go well we will be asked to host the festival again next year,” he explained.

Contract due to be signed
The contract for work on the next phase of the Caherlohan Centre of excellence project is due to be signed on this Friday, this week’s board meeting was told.

Replying to query from St Joseph’s delegate, Pat Frawley, chairman Mr O’Neill said, “there were a few technical issues which have been ironed out and we should be signing the contracts on Friday”.

Replying to Michael Cusack’s delegate, Dominick Conroy, who asked when games could be played there, board secretary Pat Fitzgerald said, “it’s not for games. It’s a centre of excellence”.

Insurance costs
Killimer delegate Alan Culligan expressed his club’s concerns about player insurance.

“Clubs are paying phenomenal money and, when there is a claim, the pay out is small and it takes a lot of time.”

“There is a lot of paper work for obvious reasons,” replied board chairman O’Neill.

“There have been a lot of bogus claims in the past,” secretary Pat Fitzgerald told the meeting, pointing out that he had served for a number of years on a national committee dealing with this issue.

“Everybody should have their own insurance”, said O’Curry’s delegate Michael Curtin. “The best advice with regard to insurance is that ‘the GAA insurance is the insurance of last resort’.”

Cumann na mBunscoil finals
Cumann na mBunscoil delegate PJ Fitzpatrick asked this week’s meeting if Cusack Park could be made available for the upcoming Cumann na mBunscoil football finals.

Secretary Pat Fitzgerald said the chances are slim. “There have only been three games there in seven weeks.

We took out a hurling semi-final last week and we have re-located the intermediate hurling final this week,” he explained.

New competition format
Miltown delegate Noel Walsh asked if there is any truth in the rumour that the club championships are to be run on an open draw basis.

“It would be a bad move,” he said. “Winning a provincial club title is a huge honour for any club,” he said.

Secretary Pat Fitzgerald said he wasn’t aware of any such proposal at this stage but he added that he had heard of “a suggestion to have the U-21 football organised on a four-by-eight basis”.

More games for Tulla
O’Callaghan’s Mills delegate Noel O’Driscoll asked this week’s board meeting why more games weren’t being played at Dr Daly Park in Tulla. “There have been a couple of games in Tulla every week. In the weather conditions we have been having, we have to be fair to venues,” replied chairman O’Neill.

Secretary Pat Fitzgerald explained “there are a number of things when making fixtures. Clubs are looking for security and for enclosed pitches.”

“Aren’t all pitches vested in the GAA,” O’Driscoll asked when referring to Bernard Hanrahan’s earlier announcement that Clarecastle would be seeking a fee for each game.

“That’s right”, replied Fitzgerald adding that the GAA has the right to schedule games for venues at weekends.

Minor football management ratified
Tuesday’s meeting ratified the appointment of Michael Neylon (Corofin) as the minor football manager for another term. Neylon will be joined by Donal O hAiniféin (Éire Óg) Michael Queally (Cooraclare), Noel Normloyle (Kilmihil) and Michael Nealon (Éire Óg).